Cost of Open Heart Surgery in India

In simplest terms, open-heart surgery is any kind of an operation wherein the chest is cut open to perform surgery on the muscles, valves, or arteries of the heart.

The most common type of heart surgery performed amongst adults is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The CABG surgery is performed by grafting (or attaching) a healthy artery or vein to a blocked coronary artery. This enables the grafted artery to “bypass” the blocked artery and bring fresh blood for the heart to pump.

On some occasions, open-heart surgery may also be called traditional heart surgery. With advancements in medical procedures, heart surgeries today are performed only with small incisions and not wide openings and so the term “open-heart surgery” can confuse or mislead people.

Although the heart surgery cost in India is lower when compared to its western counterparts, there is still a significant financial expectation associated with it. Since heart operations are both meticulous and complicated, the heart surgery cost is also high. The heart operation cost varies depending on the severity of the patient’s condition. And so, the exact bypass surgery cost for a patient can only be told by the surgeon. However, an open-heart surgery cost will generally range between ₹1,25,000 lakhs to ₹2,70,000 based on the condition of the patient.

Because of the high risk associated with the surgery, the heart surgery cost is also high. This is why surgeons only recommend open-heart surgery when other treatments have failed to cure the patient’s condition.

Additionally, when a patient is expected to undergo open-heart surgery, they don’t have to only consider the heart operation cost but also take into consideration the post-hospitalisation expenses. This is because the recovery period of open-heart surgery is gradual and slow, commonly extending to several weeks and months.

This is why to help manage the heart surgery cost in India, it is advised to seek comprehensive health insurance with a critical illness cover to the patient can focus on their recovery instead of worrying about the expenses.

The factors that affect the cost of heart surgery in India are as follows:

• Hospital: The bypass surgery cost or any heart surgery cost will vary depending on whether the patient is treated in a private or public hospital
• Location: If the patient chooses to get operated on in a metropolitan city, the cost of their operation would be comparatively higher

Technology: The cost of heart surgery will vary depending on the technology employed to perform the operation. There are essentially three kinds of open-heart surgeries:

• On-Pump: This employs a pump machine to circulate blood throughout the body because the heart is temporarily stopped with medication during the operation.

• Off-Pump: In this method, the CABG is performed without a heart-lung machine as the heart continues to pump blood during the operation.

• Robot-Assisted: A relatively new method, where the surgery is performed by robotic arms that are overlooked and governed by surgeons via computers.

• Expertise: The cost of the surgery will be higher if it is performed by a highly experienced surgeon and is also affected by their qualification.

• Payment Mode: Another factor influencing the heart operation cost is how the patient is paying for the operation: through health insurance or from their pocket.

• Patient’s Condition: As mentioned earlier, the cost of heart surgery is also affected by the severity of the patient’s condition and the kind of operation needed.

• Fitness: The fitness of the patient also plays a role in determining the cost of the surgery

• Service: The category of the room, the reputation of the medical institute, and other post-surgery expenses also come into play while considering the overall cost of the heart surgery.

While the cost of heart surgery in India is lower as compared to other countries, it is still very high considering the average incomes of Indian households. Therefore, to ensure financial stability one must invest in a comprehensive medical insurance plan early on. The benefits of health insurance extend beyond providing only financial assistance to afford peace to the policyholder who does not have to worry about the cost of expensive medical treatments. The health insurance by Tata AIG comes with unique riders along with a critical illness cover to take care of expenses for treating heart ailments and 37 other serious illnesses.

Cardiovascular diseases claim millions of lives every year across the globe. Unfortunately, owing to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits, this problem has only been exacerbated. To keep heart ailments at bay, here are some tips individuals can follow:

• Say goodbye to smoking as it damages your blood vessels and thus negatively affects the functioning of your heart
• Try to get at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight as obesity is one of the leading causes of poor heart health
• Eat balanced and nutritious meals
• Ensure you get adequate sleep every night

Your heart performs one of the most critical body functions and so it is essential to ensure it stays healthy. However, because problems don’t come knocking on your door, it is always better to prepare for them with comprehensive health insurance. This is because insufficient funds are often known to delay both diagnosis and treatment which is a dangerous predicament for critical illnesses that are often time-sensitive. Even if one does manage to collect the funds, the cost of operation, medication, and post-hospitalisation can lead to debt and a financial crisis to endure later. However, with a medical insurance plan, you can have a reliable financial safety net.